a. Sc. and north. dial. Also 4 farand(e. [prob. an application of farande, northern pr. pple. of FARE v.1; cf. the sense ‘to suit, befit’ of ON. fara; also quots. s.v. FARINO ppl. a.]
† 1. Of a person: Well-favoured, comely, handsome. Obs.
13[?]. E. E. Allit. P., B. 607. If þay [wyȝeȝ] wer farande & fayre to beholde.
1375. Barbour, Bruce, II. 514. Othir ladyis fayr and farand.
2. Of things: Becoming, dignified, pleasant.
13[?]. E. E. Allit. P., A. 864. Lest les þou leue my talle farande.
c. 1340. Sir Gawayne and the Green Knight, 101. At vch farand fest among his fre meny.
1882. in Lanc. Gloss.
3. Having a specified appearance, disposition, or temperament. With qualifying word prefixed, as auld-, evil-, fair-, fighting-, foul-, well-farrand.
a. 1400. Sir Perc., 848. Siche ille farande fare.
c. 1440. Ipomydon, 281.
| She knew non suche in hyr londe, | |
| So goodly a man and wele farand. |
a. 1455. Holland, Houlate, 153.
| How þaj apperit to þe paip, and present þaim ay, | |
| Fair, farrand, and free, | |
| In ane guidlye degree. |
1513. Douglas, Æneis, VII. viii. 147.
| Sum the maist semyly farrand personage | |
| Tystis to the feild, to preif his grene curage. |
1635. D. Dickson, Pract. Wks. (1845), I. 88. A sore matter for a sinner to be corrected and yet to go light-farrand under it.
1674–91. Ray, N. C. Words, s.v. Farand, is used in composition: as Fighting-Farand, i. e. in a fighting humor.
1816. Scott, Antiq., xlii. ‘Ochiltree, is very skeely and auld farrant about mony things.’
1830. Galt, Lawrie T., I. viii. (1849), 29. ‘Ye ’re an auld farrant chappy; and na doubt but ye ’ll do weel in this country, where pawkrie is no’ an ill nest-egg to begin with!’
